SCREEN Graphic Solutions Co., Ltd., the parent of Screen GA (Australia), has announced that it will not to take part in the drupa 2021 international printing/media trade show. The decision has been made based on sensible precautions after considering the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing opportunities for virtual experiences provided by new communications technologies.
With both market and social conditions undergoing such drastic changes, SCREEN GA believes it is essential to accelerate timely communication with our customers and partners. We are continuously creating both virtual and physical communication opportunities designed to ensure the best possible experience.
Screen GA Australia Managing Director Peter Scott says: “It must have been a hard decision to arrive at but I believe it is the right decision in view of the safety of customers and staff. Screen has always been a strong supporter of drupa and we have always enjoyed a high number of visitors from Australia and New Zealand. However, the road forward for a safe, pandemic-free Europe is by no means clear and in some areas, a second wave is apparent. Trade shows and especially drupa are all about meeting, networking and socialising and I can’t see this working as early as April 2021, even if planes are flying and borders are quarantine-free.”
Scott continues: “Personally, I have great fondness for drupa and the way Düsseldorf becomes ‘drupa city’ and welcomes the print and communications world, I will miss it but I fear it will be at least another year before the health and safety situation can be deemed normal. Planning for participating in events such as drupa takes months or years, so the decision had to be made well in advance. Not to have done so would have been an unacceptable gamble. Personal safety comes first and foremost.”
“I look forward to more certain times and the return of the drupa we know and love!”
